Group nearing signature requirement to get recreational marijuana on November ballot

Group nearing signature requirement to get recreational marijuana on November ballot

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Updated: 5:39 PM CDT Jul 23, 2018

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WEBVTT WORKING TO COLLECT SIGNATURES THEY NEED. BRET THIS GROUP IS BEEN OUT HERE FOR WEEKS GETTING THOUSANDS OF SIGNATURES. AND THEY FEEL NOT ONLY WILL THEY GET THE REQUIRED SIGNATURE FOR THE AUGUST DEADLINE BUT THEN SOME. YOU HAVE SEEN THEIR SIGNS. [HONKING] AND YOU HAVE SEEN WAVING THE FLAG ON NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY. >> WE HAVE STATE QUESTION 797. ET: ASKING OKLAHOMA’S TO SIGN A PETITION WITH THE GOAL TO GET IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. AS OF SUNDAY, THE GROUP HAD MORE THAN 118,000 SIGNATURES. IT NEEDS LESS THAN Q124,000. >> RIGHT NOW THERE ARE PETITIONS ALL OVER THE STATE AND STORES THAT HAVE NOT HAD THEIR SIGNATURE COLLECTED AND COUNTED YET. BRET SOME TELL US THEY ARE INSPIRED AFTER THE BOARD OF HEALTH CHANGE THE RULES. >> THEY KEEP MESSING WITH THE MEDICAL. KEEP CHANGING IT AND WANT TO TAKE THE SMOKABLE AWAY. BRETT: EVEN IF THE GROUP GETS ENOUGH SIGNATURE BY THE DEADLINE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE TELLS US IT WILL -- IT’S UNLIKELY WE’LL GET ON THE BALLOT. IT TAKES 60 DAYS TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. THE DELAY WILL NOT BE BECAUSE OF THIS OFFICE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PROCEDURE ITSELF. RETT: BRETT: THE SECRETARY OF STATE THAT COULD TAKE SAYS THAT COULD TAKE TWO WEEKS TO VERIFY EVERY SIGNATURE, PLUS THE SUPREME COURT NEEDS UP TO TWO WEEKS TO VERIFY THIS AND KEEP IN MIND, THEN THEY HAVE 10 DAYS FOR ANYONE WHO WAS GOING TO TEST THE SIGNATURES

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Group nearing signature requirement to get recreational marijuana on November ballot

The group Green the Vote is fewer than 6,000 signatures away from potentially getting recreational marijuana on the November ballot. Supporters have been gathering signatures for weeks, and they feel they will get the required 124,000 signatures and then some before the Aug. 8 deadline. As of Sunday, Green the Vote had more than 118,000 signatures to get State Question 797 on the ballot."There's a ton of momentum and, right now, there are petitions all over this state in stores that haven't even had their signatures collected and counted yet," advocate Bryce Smith said.Some people were inspired to sign the group's petition after the Board of Health changed the rules to State Question 788, which legalized medical marijuana in Oklahoma. The major rule changes included banning dispensaries from selling smokable medical marijuana and requiring pharmacists to be at the dispensaries."They keep messing with the medical. They keep changing it and want to take the smokable away," said Michelle Dwyreng, who signed the petition for State Question 797.Even if Green the Vote gets enough signatures by the Aug. 8 deadline, Oklahoma Secretary of State James Williamson said it's unlikely the state question will get on the November ballot."We've calculated and it takes at least 60 days to go through the process," Williamson said last week. "The delay won't be because of this office. It's because of the procedure itself."Williamson said verifying all the signatures could take two to three weeks. Then it takes time for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to approve the state question, and state officials said they expect some to protest the petition for recreational marijuana.

OKLAHOMA CITY —

The group Green the Vote is fewer than 6,000 signatures away from potentially getting recreational marijuana on the November ballot.

Supporters have been gathering signatures for weeks, and they feel they will get the required 124,000 signatures and then some before the Aug. 8 deadline. As of Sunday, Green the Vote had more than 118,000 signatures to get State Question 797 on the ballot.

"There's a ton of momentum and, right now, there are petitions all over this state in stores that haven't even had their signatures collected and counted yet," advocate Bryce Smith said.

Some people were inspired to sign the group's petition after the Board of Health changed the rules to State Question 788, which legalized medical marijuana in Oklahoma. The major rule changes included banning dispensaries from selling smokable medical marijuana and requiring pharmacists to be at the dispensaries.

"They keep messing with the medical. They keep changing it and want to take the smokable away," said Michelle Dwyreng, who signed the petition for State Question 797.

Even if Green the Vote gets enough signatures by the Aug. 8 deadline, Oklahoma Secretary of State James Williamson said it's unlikely the state question will get on the November ballot.

"We've calculated and it takes at least 60 days to go through the process," Williamson said last week. "The delay won't be because of this office. It's because of the procedure itself."

Williamson said verifying all the signatures could take two to three weeks. Then it takes time for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to approve the state question, and state officials said they expect some to protest the petition for recreational marijuana.